


When All Is Lost, All Is Found

by Snowfall_In_Summer



Series: The Legend of Eryn Odrikson [2]
Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Falling In Love, Light Norse Mythology, Prosthetic Limbs, Refrences to Frozen 2 material, Vikings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:20:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26807266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowfall_In_Summer/pseuds/Snowfall_In_Summer
Summary: No one was to set foot on the island, that was the decree from King Runeard. And for over 40 years, that decree was followed. Now, when a stranded sailor washes up on Arendelle's shores, claiming he survived the Island, that decree is about to be broken.Sequel to "Beware the Frozen Heart"
Relationships: Anna & Elsa (Disney), Anna/Kristoff (Disney), Elsa (Disney)/Original Male Character(s)
Series: The Legend of Eryn Odrikson [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1973431
Comments: 5
Kudos: 7





	When All Is Lost, All Is Found

The waters of Corona Bay glistened under the full moon. Few people were still out and about at this ungodly hour: drunkards stumbling out of pubs to return to their wives, women of the evening strutting about offering their services, and a few homeless children scurrying the empty streets like the rats they slept with. Down by the docks, several shady and hooded figures darted from shadow to shadow, avoiding the numerous guard patrols along the way. One by one, they slid silently into one of the warehouses on the north side. Closing the door behind them, they each removed their hoods and breathed a sigh of relief. One of the men, a thin bald man with cold silver eyes, walked forward to inspect the large crates before him while a still hooded man walked up beside him.

  


“You two,” he called out, pointing to two men, “get these things open!” The men walked forward as they brandished crowbars. With a loud * _ clunk _ *, the two men sank their crowbars in between the wood covering and yanked with all of their might, producing a loud squeaking sound as the nails were pulled out of the wood.

  


“This’d better be worth it,” he mumbled to the man beside him.

  


“Yesss, much worth here,” the hooded figure said in a thick Eastern European accent, “I’ve been watching this place for weeks, these crates are full of Chinese jade. Worth  _ millions. _ ”

  


“Let’s just hope you're right…”

  


As he finished talking, the crate opened with the loud clattering of wood on stone. All of the men gathered around the opening, ready to collect the precious materials inside, only to be surprised when the crate was empty. Frustrated murmurs filled the warehouse.

  


“What the-!?” The bald man shouted, turning to the hooded figure, “you said it’d be here!”

  


His anger was cut short by the sound of guns cocking from behind the crate. Several guards filed out to meet the group with pistols raised. One of them, a young man with a thick red hair and mustache, approached the bald man with a fearful scowl.

  


“Johann Üstag,” he announced, raising his pistol to his chest, “you’re under arrest in the name of Arendelle and Corona!”

  


“What?! But how?!”

  


“Me, you old dumbass!” The hooded figure shouted, dropping his accent. He pulled his hood back to reveal his gaunt face, jet black hair, and scar traveling down the left side of his face. His brown eyes met the man’s silver ones.

  


“ERYN?!”

  


“Hello, Johann,” Eryn sneered, “miss me?”

  


“I-I thought you were in Istanbul, looking for-”

  


“- for Liam? He’s long gone, I’m afraid. Leapt off the Hagia Sophia rather than come quietly.”

  


Johann’s body shook at Eryn’s words, “You bastard! Turning on your own friends like this!”

  


“Don’t pretend you didn’t turn on me, Johann! I still remember when you ruined damn near a month of prep with a bomb.”

  


“That was Alius, and from what I’ve heard you already got him back.”

  


“Your right, I did,” Eryn pulled out a revolver from his cloak and aimed it at Johann’s head, “but you didn’t do shit to stop him, so I’m considering this ‘tying up loose ends.’ Now, hands where I can see them, will you?”

  


Johann glared at him as he raised his hands.

  


“He’s all yours, Lenny,” Eryn said. Linaeus walked up to Johann and slapped a pair of shackles around the old man’s wrists. One by one, the guards moved through the mob of criminals, restraining them in a similar fashion. Eryn and Linaeus walked through the crowd until they passed through the doors of the warehouse.

  


“Well,” Linaeus said, “that should be the last of them, right Eryn?”

  


“Yep,” Eryn sighed, “He’s all that was left.”

  


“Then why so grim looking? You should be glad this is over now.”

  


“I still think that I could’ve taken care of it mys-”

  


Eryn’s sentence was interrupted by a series of rough, dry coughs. He brought his hand up to his face as he tried to force whatever was in his lungs out. Linaeus leaped as Eryn’s coughing fit started up.

  


“Eryn, are you alright?!” Linaeus said startled.

  


“I-I’m fine,” Eryn panted as he recomposed himself, “nothing to worry about.”

  


“Those coughs have been plaguing you for the last two years! There has to be something wrong.”

  


“ _ It’s. Nothing. Lenny. _ We need to focus on the job at hand and get these bastards back to Arendelle.”

  


“Eryn…”

  


“Trust me, Lenny,” Eryn placed his hand on Linaeus’s shoulder, giving him a half smile, “I’m fine.”   
  
Linaeus gave Eryn a worried expression, “Can you at least promise me you’ll get it checked out when we get back?”

  


“Fine. Now, shall we get going?”

  


“I have to sort this out with Captain Fitzherbert first. These criminals are also Corona’s problem.”

  


“Rrright…” Eryn rolled his eyes. He’d grown a rather serious distaste for the husband of the Princess of Corona. At times, the man gave off this air of arrogance and romanticism, something that grated Eryn’s nerves only slightly. It was when Linaeus introduced him to Captain Fitzherbert that their relationship soured.

  


“I still don’t understand how you two don’t get along. You two are almost identical.”   
  


“We would’ve gotten along if  _ someone  _ didn’t mention the whole ‘pledged my life to an ancient evil to be an assassin’ bit.”

  


Linaeus cringed at Eryn’s retort, “Look, I said I was sorry.”   
  
“It was the  _ first thing  _ you said when introducing m-” a rapid series of coughs interrupted Eryn as he doubled over.

  


“Why don’t you just… head back to the ship. I’ll talk with Eugune myself.”

  


“F-fine,” Eryn sputtered, regaining his composure. He hobbled past Linaeus, trying to stifle any remaining coughs.

  


Linaeus did nothing but shake his head as he watched Eryn slowly return to the ship. Ever since Skyne’s death, Eryn had been acting… strange. When he wasn’t chasing down a lead on one of his former colleagues, he was distancing himself from everyone. He would eat by himself, deliberately avoid the guards assigned to him, and, strangest of all, would take long lonely walks in the dead of night. Any attempt to find out what was wrong was met with a grumbled “nothing” followed by a mild to severe coughing fit. Linaeus couldn’t help but feel worried for his old friend. He let out a sigh, turning back to the warehouse to discuss the transfer of prisoners with Captain Fitzherbert.

  


He was concerned for Eryn, but Arendelle always had to come first.

  


XXXXXX   
  


Eryn slumped against the door to his cabin before letting out another coughing fit. It felt as if he gargled seawater and chased it down with wood shavings. All he wanted to do at this point was rip his throat out and toss it into the ocean. Two godforsaken years had these coughs been plaguing him. Eryn lost count of how many sleepless nights he endured, jolted awake by the intrusion in his throat and lungs. As the coughing passed, he let out an exasperated groan. In a way, he felt like this was some kind of cosmic punishment for thinking he could face Skyne alone. Linaeus told him the whole ordeal a few days after apprehending Markus, how Skyne struck him down and how the queen managed to intervene and kill the monster. The  _ one chance  _ he had to prove himself and he blew it.

  


_ You really are an ass, aren’t you?  _ He thought to himself,  _ the whole world could’ve ended because of you, and you’re sitting here pissed because you didn’t get the fame for saving it. How the hell did you convince Elsa to spare you… _

  


Eryn let loose a loud sigh. In his mind, Elsa was being  _ far  _ too kind to him. The two of them met all because of a few sacks of gold and the request of her head on a silver platter. Secretly, he’d been dreading the day the final member of the old gang was in chains. That meant he’d have to return to Arendelle and face her again. Eryn wasn’t sure what would await him upon the delivery of Johann. He fully expected to be thrown in the dungeons once again, or even put on the gallows immediately.

  


Mustering the little strength he had gathered in the past few minutes, Eryn lifted himself off of the floor and fumbled over to his hammock. Perhaps some sleep would clear his mind and conscience. He flopped onto the hammock as he let his eyelids go heavy before drifting to sleep… 

  


_ He was back on the North Mountain, his hands covered in blood. Elsa laid before him, her throat slit and her eyes still and glassy. Anna sobbed loudly as she cradled her elder sister in her arms. Linaeus approached him with his sword drawn, pointing it towards Eryn. _

  


_ “ERYN!” Linaeus shouted, “WHY?!” _

  


_ Before he had a chance to respond, an inky black tentacle pierced Linaeus’s chest. Eryn could feel the blood splatter onto his face as his friend slumped to the floor with a loud gurgling noise. Looking up, Eryn saw… him. The crimson eyes that pierced his soul. The inky black skin that blotted out the night sky behind him. The serpentine head, a maniacal grin overtaking it. The antlers, now stained with blood. The canine-like legs sinking into the snow. The wretched smell of death and decay. Skyne lifted Anna into the air, who was begging to stay with her sister. In an instant, Anna was enveloped in an orb of darkness. All Eryn could hear was the shrill shrieking of the princess followed by the sound of crunching bones. Skyne let out a wicked chortle as he lifted Eryn off of the ground and brought him to face level. _

  


**_Come now, Odrikson,_ ** _ the monster growled,  _ **_Isn’t this what you wanted?_ **

  


_ “N-no!” Eryn gasped, clawing at the beast’s grasp, “I want out!” _

  


**_I’m afraid that’s no longer an option. You’ve signed away your freedom the second you swore allegiance to me!_ **

  


_ “Let. Me. GO!” Eryn’s heart raced as he felt Skyne tighten his grip around him. _

  


**_T̷̬̍H̷̺̓Ë̵͓́R̵̥̓È̵̬'̵̩͐S̸͖̍ ̵̜͐N̵̤͆O̸̦͘ ̷͔͝T̶̻͗U̷͛͜Ř̵͈N̸͈̎I̷͈͒N̶̦̋G̷͗ͅ ̶̢͐B̷̭͐A̵̯̽C̶̭̏K̴͚͊ ̶͇͒N̶̤͌Ő̴͓W̶̝͐_ ** _!̷̘̑ _

  
  


_ Skyne’s grip became tighter and tighter. Eryn struggled to free himself, only enticing the spirit to squeeze harder until he could hear his bones crack under the immense pressure… _

  


“Eryn! Wake up!”

  


Eryn bolted upright in his bed, panting as if he ran a marathon. A sheen of sweat covered his forehead as his heart raced. Eryn snapped his head to the left, only to be greeted by a concerned Linaeus kneeling by his bedside. 

  


“L-Lenny!” Eryn gasped, “Wh-what happened?”

  


“What happened?” Linaeus gawked, “I overheard you shouting in your sleep, that’s what happened. Something about ‘wanting out.’”

  


Eryn buried his face in his hand as his panting subsided.  _ It was just a nightmare,  _ he thought,  _ Everyone is- _

  


As soon as his breathing stabilized, Eryn was greeted by another bout of coughing. This time felt much harder and more fierce than any before. It felt as if his throat was on fire.

  


“Here, drink some of this,” Linaeus said as he handed Eryn a small flask. Without hesitation, Eryn grabbed the drink and eagerly gulped it down. As he drank, he could feel Linaeus’s gaze boring a hole into him.

  


“Th-thank you,” Eryn said, returning the flask to Linaeus. The general’s look of concern didn’t change as he took the container from Eryn’s hand.

  


“You know what I’m going to ask, right?” Linaeus asked.

  


“It was nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Eryn quickly responded as he attempted to get out of bed.

  


“You had that nightmare again, didn’t you? With…  _ him? _ ”

  


Eryn winced at Linaeus’s question. “Y-yeah…”

  


“Eryn, this isn’t ‘nothing.’ You’ve been having those nightmares since--”   
  
“I can deal with them myself,” Eryn snapped, “A few bad dreams haven’t hurt anyone.”

  


“But if it’s the same bad dream for two years? That’s not normal, Eryn.”

  


“We work for a woman who controls ice and snow, what do we know about ‘normal?’” 

  


“Even Elsa’s magic can’t manipulate dreams, Eryn,” Linaeus folded his arms as he rose from the floor, “You shouldn’t be ignoring this, you know…”

  


Eryn flopped his head back onto his pillow. “Ugh,  _ fine, _ ” he groaned, “I’ll see what help I can get once we get back to Arendelle.”

  


“We  _ are  _ back in Arendelle.”

  


Eryn shot back up from the bed, “What?! A nonstop trip from Corona to Arendelle takes at least two days! Are you telling me that I slept  _ the entire trip? _ ”

  


“Indeed you did. Had to fight to keep the captain from tossing you overboard.”

  


Eryn could overhear the crew shouting and moving objects above. His heart sank as he realized that Linaeus wasn’t joking.

  


“Er, thanks, I guess?” Eryn let out a weak chuckle.

  


“Wouldn’t want to miss out on your audience with the queen, now would you?” A small smile formed on Linaeus’s face. Eryn returned the smile, but could feel his anxiety creep through his body. 

  


“What’s got you so worried?” Linaeus chuckled, “She’s not going to bite, y’know?”

  


_ As far as  _ you _ know,  _ Eryn thought, but resisted the urge to say anything. He knew of Linaeus’s feelings towards the queen (well,  _ everyone  _ knew except for Elsa) so Eryn wished to avoid insulting her in front of him.

  


“I’ll leave you be so you can ready yourself,” Linaeus walked over to the door and swung it open before turning back to Eryn and adding, “And don’t forget about… well, you know.”

  
“R-right. Thanks, Lenny.”

  


Linaeus nodded and closed the door behind him. Eryn let out an audible gulp. This was it: the day he both awaited and dreaded. Once he left this boat, his fate was up to the queen.  _ Might as well get this over with,  _ he thought to himself as he got out of bed.

  


XXXXXX

  


“Wait,” Olaf said, scanning the large map of North America laid out on the desk. He stood next to Anna upon Elsa’s chair as he smoothed out the map with his twig hands. “They want to take  _ all that  _ land?”

  


“Yep,” Anna said, looking over the map, “Well, it’s a  _ little _ more complicated than that. From what I’ve heard Elsa talk about, Texas wants to be a part of America but some Americans don’t want it.”

  


“But it’s so  _ big!  _ You could fit like... a hundred Arendelles in it!” Think of all the snowmen you could make in there.”

  


“Ehhhh, seeing how it’s mostly desert, you won’t get a lot of snowmen out there.”

  


“Then why take so much?”

  


Anna quickly rolled up the map before saying, “How about we take a break for now? I’ll go check on Elsa if you can go down to the docks to wait for Linaeus and Eryn. I promise that we’ll keep talking about this later.”   
  


“Oooh! I can do that! I missed Derri-- I mean Eryn.” With that, Olaf hopped off the chair and scurried out of the room. Anna placed the map under her arm as she walked out with him, only to be immediately greeted by Kristoff, her fiancé, leaning against the wall in his normal fur outfit. Anna ran towards him as he caught her in a warm embrace.

  


“Hey,” she said against his shirt, “I missed you.”

“Hey yourself,” he replied, “How’s the current events lesson going?”

  


“I’m not sure how to describe slavery to a snowman,” Anna detached herself from Kristoff, “Wow, that’s an odd sentence.”

  


“Odder than ‘My sister can sneeze life?’”

  


“Okay, that’s valid. Speaking of which, have you seen Elsa?”

  


“Heard some of the staff say she was in the library. Not sure what she’s doing there, though.”

  


Anna pursed her lips. Ever since Elsa came back from the North Mountain, she started getting borderline obsessed with ancient myths and legends. Anna always found her curled up on a chair somewhere with a massive book of mythology either resting on her lap or collapsed on the floor. Anna couldn’t get any answers out of her, all she would get was an “I’m fine, Anna,” or “Don’t worry, Anna.” But that’s all she could do. She worried that her sister was falling back into her old habits. Worried that she was going to lose Elsa again. How could she do anything but worry when she didn’t have the whole story?

  


“Hey,” Kristoff placed a loving hand on her shoulder, “You wanna go check on her?” 

  


Anna gave him a warm smile, “Yeah, thanks.”

  


The two of them made their way down the hall when Anna jerked to a stop. She knelt down and began hiking up her dress when Kristoff came and knelt beside her.

  


“Is your leg acting up again?” He asked as she hiked up enough of her dress to reveal her wooden prosthetic. He was still impressed as to how fast that came in after the attack. What impressed him further is that, rather than just a pegleg, it closely resembled an actual human leg and foot, even matching Anna’s creamy skin color.

  


“Yes,” Anna groaned, “Can you… uh… push that in?” Anna pointed to a small metal piece jutting out of where the artificial ankle was. Without hesitation, Kristoff shoved the protruding piece back into place.

  
“I thought this thing was ‘state of the art,’ why does it feel like it breaks every other day?” Kristoff asked, standing up while helping Anna off of the floor.

  


“Well, the doctors  _ did  _ say that I shouldn’t do too much ‘strenuous activity’ with it, but you know me, Miss Strenuous Activity herself.”

  


Kristoff lightly chuckled, “Heh, you’re right on that. Let’s just get to the library before that thing breaks again.”

  


“I’ll race ya.” Anna gave him a cheeky wink.

  


“I’m not sure if that leg of yours is gonna--” before Kristoff could finish his sentence, Anna flew down the corridor and off to the left. Kristoff simply sighed as he bolted down the corridor in a vain attempt to catch up to his beloved.

  


XXXXXX

  


“Alright, let’s look through this again,” Elsa told herself, dipping her quil in the inkwell. Before her on the mahogany desk laid out some parchment paper, a book that translates from Latin to English, and a worn old book she found on accident two years ago, hidden behind one of the bookshelves. She couldn’t believe her eyes when she read through the passages. An authentic skald poem, thought to be lost hundreds of years ago, about magic! After months of fruitless searching about Skyne, Ahtohallan, or even Aren the First, this writing was a godsend. What wasn’t a godsend, however, was attempting to translate the illegible writings. She’d lost track of how many nights she spent trying to decipher the ancient texts. To her left, a small piece of parchment where she wrote down some translations of the text into something more legible. Relaying her sight between the book of translations and the skald poem, Elsa diligently printed line after line onto the parchment paper, careful as to not misspell or miss any words. Once she fully translated the passage, Elsa placed the quill back into the inkwell and began to read over the passage:

  


_ A thousand years ago, _

_ When magic roamed these lands, _

_ Man and myth together _

_ Lived in fair harmony _

_ From Ahtohallan’s shores _

_ To southern lands most far _

_ The four masters roamed wide _

_ Where North Wind met the sea _

  


Elsa paused at the last phrase. She heard it before, in her mother’s lullaby about the source of all magic. Elsa absentmindedly bounced her foot as she contemplated this information.  _ It’s a start, at least,  _ she thought to herself before retrieving her quill and starting again. Perhaps the rest of the poem would have more informa-

  


“ELSA!”

  


Elsa jumped at the shouting of her name, encasing her quill in ice. She quickly around, her blue eyes narrowed in anger, to find Anna and Kristoff standing before her.

  


“Please just knock next time, Anna,” Elsa sighed as she tried prying the quill out of her hand.

  


“I did,” her sister replied, “you were just so busy with… whatever it is you’re doing, you just didn’t hear.” As Elsa listened to Anna’s explanation, she waved her open hand over the icy quill, vanishing the cold before setting it back into her inkwell

  


“Is everything alright? Is it your leg again?”

  


“No, no. It’s just…”

  


“We were a little concerned about you,” Kristoff interjected.

  


“There’s nothing to be concerned about. I’m perfectly—  _ ANNA!” _

  


Anna held Elsa’s work in her hands, reading it silently to herself. Once she was done, Anna looked up to Elsa with a look of confusion.

  


“Elsa, what is this?”

  


Elsa sighed in defeat. “I-”

  


Before she could explain, Elsa was interrupted by a knock on the door. Gerda meekly entered the room, giving the queen a small curtsey.

  


“Sorry to interrupt, your majesty, but General Torvond and Mr. Odrikson have arrived from Corona.”

  


“O-oh,” Elsa felt a wave of both relief and anxiety rush over her. Even two years later, she was still kicking herself for letting her guard down and allowing an assassin so close to her, let alone growing attracted to him. Ever since the day she found out the truth, Elsa swore she’d never be duped like that again. For her sake, and for Anna’s.

  


Elsa shook off the feeling as she regained her composure. “Good,” she said, “do they have Mr. Üstag with them?”

  


“Yes, Your Majesty. They’re on their way to the castle now.”

  


Elsa nodded, “Very well, I’ll meet them in the courtyard in a bit. Thank you, Gerda.”

  


As Gerda left the room, Elsa turned to face a slightly annoyed Anna, pouting disapprovingly. 

  


“So are you going to tell us what’s with the books?” Anna asked.

  


“I’ll… tell you after we deal with Eryn and Linaeus.”

  


“Promise?”

  


“Super sister promise. Now, let’s head to the courtyard.” Elsa briskly walked out of the library as Anna and Kristoff exchanged worried looks.

  


“She’s doing it again,” Anna said.

  


“But she at least promised to tell you,” Kristoff replied, “that’s more than any other time.”

  


“But is she serious about it or is she just saying that?”

  


“Only one way to find out.” Kristoff gestured to the hallway as the two of them casually walked down to the courtyard.

  


XXXXXX

  


“All this for what, Eryn? To become some royal’s pet?” Johann sneered.

  


“Oh, shut it, you old bastard,” Eryn grunted as he shoved him through the streets. Throughout the city, people stared quizzically at the three men as they made their way towards the castle. Just a few steps ahead of them, Olaf was skipping merrily across the cobblestones prattling on about whatever was on his mind. All of them were flanked by stone faced guards, brandishing their rifles like a living set of tin soldiers. While Linaeus humored the snowman, Eryn fixated his attention on the castle looming in the distance. He knew what was to happen to Johann, a night in the dungeons before he hung, but it was his own fate Eryn wasn’t sure of. Anxiety shot through his body with every step towards the castle. Eryn shook off these feelings as he tightened his grip on the man in his grasp, who struggled with each step.

  


“So she really let you off after you swore to bring us all in? I knew she was a whore, but not a stupid wh-”

  


Eryn struck Johann in his stomach, who fell to the ground whimpering like a dog. With no hesitation, Eryn hoisted the man off the ground and brought him to eye level.

  


“You’re lucky I don’t have a sword on me,” he growled, “because if I did, I’d cut that tongue out of your damn head!”

  


Johann formed a weak smile, “Seems I’ve struck a raw nerve, eh, Ery-”

  


Johann was silenced by yet another strike to his stomach.

  


“I just got tired of hearing you speak, you-” Before Eryn could finish his insult, he was cut off by a series of sharp, dry coughs.

  


“And here I thought I’d be the one to die first, but judging by that cough, you just might drop before me.” Johann gave Eryn a sly grin before Eryn hooked his right hand into the old man’s face. The sudden blow forced the man onto the ground as Eryn hoisted him back onto his feet.

  


“Any more out of you and I’ll knock the rest of your teeth out, now  _ move!” _ Eryn roared, shoving Johann towards the castle. The two of them managed to catch up with both Linaeus and Olaf as they passed through the castle gates.

  


”...and I said ‘you can eat as much as you want but you’ll never get enough Vitamin D,” Olaf said, “Oh! We’re here!”

  


Before the men stood Elsa, flanked by two emerald clad guards, her expression regal and poised. Eryn steeled himself as he shoved Johann through the courtyard. Linaeus greeted the Üqueen with a quick salute as Eryn followed behind.

  


“Your Majesty,” Linaeus said, “It’s good to see you again.”   
  
“You as well, Linaeus,” Elsa replied, “I assume your mission in Corona was a success?”

  
“I’d say it was,” Eryn chimed in, shoving Johann up to the two of them, “May I present Johann Üstag, anarchist, traitor, and would be assassin.”

  


“Well isn’t  _ that _ pot calling the kettle black?” Johann mumbled. Eryn was half tempted to give him another blow to the stomach, but resisted the urge in front of the queen.

  


Elsa strode up to the man as her expression soon turned to an icy glare, “You have a lot to answer for, Mr. Üstag.”

  


“Well, it looks like all I have to do is say I’m sorry and all is forgiven. I mean, that’s what you did with the mastermind behind all this.”   
  
“He’s done more than enough to repay his debt. Unlike you, who shows no remorse.”

  


“Why would I show remorse for a loathsome whore like y-”

  


Eryn quickly interrupted his sentence with a jab to the man’s jaw.

  


“Christ, could any of you come up with anything original?” Eryn groaned, “I’ve heard more ‘whore’ from you lot than a brothel can carry. Er- pardon the analogy, your majesty.”

  


Elsa waved her hand, “It’s fine, Eryn.” She then turned to Linaeus, “Escort Mr. Üstag to the dungeons. We’ll arrange for his execution later.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Linaeus said as he took Johann from Eryn and dragged him through the castle doors. Eryn attempted to follow his friend, but was immediately stopped by the queen.

  


“I would like to speak to you personally, Mr. Odrikson,” She said. Eryn could feel his anxiety flare up throughout his entire body. 

  


“O-of course, your majesty,” Eryn replied, masking his nervousness. Elsa’s icy glare faded to a warm smile.

  


“I’d first like to thank you personally. For doing this.”

  


“Ah, well, it was nothing. Didn’t like half of them anyway.”

  


“And the other half?”   
  


“The other half didn’t like  _ me _ .”

  


Elsa stifled a giggle, easing Eryn’s nerves a bit.

  
“I was surprised you even came back at all. Everyone in the council thought you’d disappear after I sent you off. Even Anna and Kristoff.”   
  
“Well, what can I say? I’m full of surprises.” The two of them started chuckling amongst each other.   
  
Eryn cringed internally.  _ That’s _ _ what you say?  _ He thought to himself,  _ of course she knows you’re full of surprises, you ‘surprised’ her by trying to kill her!  _ Their laughter soon died out, bringing about an awkward silence only broken by the sound of birds and the waves of the Arenfjord.

  
“Anyway…” Elsa continued, “With Mr. Üstag in custody now, I guess that means you’re debt free.”

  


“Indeed.”

  


“Did you… have any plans now?”

  


Eryn thought long and hard, “I had a… vague idea. Probably live out my days back in Karnisvarne. Become a farmer or something…”

  


This couldn’t have been farther from the truth. He’d actually planned to catch the next boat to Romania or something, far away from Arendelle, where he’d hopefully die a nobody. It’s what he deserved after fucking up as horribly as he did.

  


“Well, I’d like to make you a job offer, one that might sound better than being a farmer.”   
  


Eryn cocked an eyebrow, “Oh?”

  


“I’d like to give you your old job back. Well, Derrick’s job, that is.”

  


Eryn’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. Surely she wasn’t serious, right?

  


“Wait, what?”

  
“You’ve not only proven that you're loyal to Arendelle, but also worthy enough to stand as my bodyguard. So, do you accept?”

  


Before Eryn had a chance to answer, Anna and Kristoff barreled through the front gates towards them.

  
“How are you so fast?” Anna panted before turning her attention to Eryn, “Oh, hello Eryn!”

  


“Greetings, Your Highness,” Eryn gave the princess a small bow, careful to avoid staring at the false leg his old colleagues gave her, “And you too, Mr. Bjorgman.”

  


“Right,” Kristoff said coldly, “So, I’m guessing that was the last of them being hauled to the dungeons?”

  


“Yes,” Elsa interjected, “We can all rest a little easier now, thanks to Eryn.”

  


“Well, it’s  _ because  _ of Eryn all this happened,” Kristoff grumbled under his breath, earning a slap on the shoulder from Anna.

  


“It doesn’t matter who caused it, it’s all in the past now. Now, Eryn, what do you think?”

  


“Well-”

  


“YOUR MAJESTY!”

  
“Oh, for fuck’s sa-” Eryn turned sharply to see what else was interrupting them. A young guard came bolting across the bridge, panting like a dog. He nearly tripped over his own feet as he tried to stop and catch his breath.

  


“What’s going on? Is something wrong?” Elsa asked, visibly concerned about the young man’s safety.

  


“A- a body… washed in from the fjord…” he panted.

  


Elsa’s jaw fell open, with Eryn’s following suit. “Where is it?” Elsa asked

  


“On the docks… one of the fisherman found him…”

  


“Alright, I’ll see to it. Thank you.” With no hesitation, Elsa made her way towards the docks.

  


“She really needs to learn to delegate,” Eryn said as he followed after her, followed by Anna, Kristoff and Olaf.

  


XXXXXX

  


Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf tore through the massive crowd as if they were traversing through thick grass. When they reached the center of the mass of people, they saw a few doctors huddled around what appeared to be a rather muscular man, clothed in a white and blue striped shirt and navy blue pants. He was visibly breathing, though it was shallow and sporadic. As Elsa approached, Eryn made his way behind her.

  


“Oh, God,” Elsa said under her breath, “I-is he okay?”

  
“He appears to be alive, that’s the good news,” one of the doctors piped up, pumping a large pair of furnace bellows in the man’s throat. In an instant, a geyser of water erupted from the unconscious man’s mouth, causing the whole crowd to gasp in surprise.

  


“ _ Оstrov Smerti! Ostrov Smerti!”  _ he gasped between coughing bouts.

  
“He’s Russian?!” Eryn said, “What are the Russians doing here?”

  


“Who’s ‘Austin Smitty?’” Olaf asked, “Is that his name?”

  
“No,” Eryn replied, “He’s saying ‘Isle of Death…’” Eryn knelt down beside the man and began speaking to him.

  


“ _ Chto s toboy sluchilos'?” _ he asked, “What happened?”

  


_ “ _ Sh-shipwreck…” the man gasped, “w-we got stranded on some island… They… they slaughtered us like  _ animals _ .”   
  


“Who? What island?”

  
The man said nothing as he weakly raised his hand to point out towards the Arenfjord. His finger landed on the massive island just beyond the waters of Arendelle, thick with trees and mist.

  


“You were on Jӧrmundskala Island? _?!”  _ Eryn and Elsa shouted. A murmur erupted from the crowd as the man was lifted off the ground by a few guards and doctors.

  
“Jӧrmundskala Island?” Anna said, “No one’s been on that island for years! Who would even  _ think _ about going there?!”   
  
“I don’t know, but it’s something I need to look into,” Elsa said, not taking her eyes off of the island.

  
“Woah, woah, woah,” Kristoff said, “‘I?’”

  


“The island is Arendellian, inhabited or not. And I’d rather not get involved in an international incident with the Russian Empire.”

  


“I don’t think that’s what he meant,” Eryn interjected, “You made it sound like you were going there personally…”

  
“I am.”

  


“What?!” Anna blurted out, “You are  _ not  _ doing this alone.”   
  


“Anna, no. I have my powers to protect me, plus I can’t have you injured again on my behalf…”

  


“I’ll manage. I’ve been through hell and back at least twice and without powers, so, y’know, I’m coming.”

  
“Me too,” Kristoff added.

  
“Jӧrmundskala?!” a voice shouted from the crowd. The four of them turned their attention to see Linaeus making his way through the crowd. “You can’t be serious, Elsa!”

  


“I am, Linaeus.”

  
“You aren’t going without me, or a proper military detachment.”

  


Elsa was taken aback by Linaeus’s demand before nodding. “Alright. Whatever guarantees a safe and quick procedure.”

  
“I’m going too,” Eryn said as he looked on towards the island, stifling a cough. All that were present stared at him confused as they all gave a synchronized “What?”

  


Eryn let his gaze linger on the island before turning to the group, “If I’m to take up a job as royal bodyguard, I should accompany you on this journey, shouldn’t I?”

Elsa smiled weakly as Kristoff, Anna, and Linaeus stared on in disbelief. As they talked amongst themselves, Eryn stared back at the island. He couldn’t describe what it was, but  _ something _ inside of him was goading him there, drawing him to the island. Whether it was good or bad, he couldn’t tell yet.

  


All he knew was that he needed to go to that island.

  



End file.
